Get outside with Sumter Clemson Extension agents

It's in the name: the great outdoors. What lies beyond our humble abodes, academic arenas and busy offices is more than just foliage and flora. The outdoors has a plethora of physical, mental and emotional benefits, from improving cardiovascular health and strengthening the immune system to calming the brain and reducing stress hormone levels.

Time in green spaces is also associated with better academic performance, increased alertness and offers free sensory pleasures, from fresh air and waterfalls to singing birds, that inspire joy and connection to the great outdoors.

The great outdoors is great because it recharges both the body and the mind. And Clemson Extension is passionate about preserving it.

Clemson Extension employs extension agents who work closely with state extension specialists and researchers at Clemson University and various research and education centers across the state.

Sumter's own Clemson Extension office, at 123 E. Liberty St., has extension agents who can provide expertise in agribusiness, agronomy, food safety, nutrition, horticulture, livestock and forages, forestry and wildlife resources, rural health, water resources and 4-H and youth development.

The agency has several initiatives coming up to inspire communities to get out and connect with what makes the outdoors so great.

Water Goat Lunch & Learn

For months, youth in Sumter Clemson Extension's 4-H program have been working with a Water Goat. As cool as the name is, its purpose is even cooler.

A Water Goat is a netted trash boom deployed into streams, rivers and waterways. It captures floating debris and plastic litter before it can reach larger bays and oceans. Its name derives from the idea that "goats eat everything."

The students are excited to present their work, and an audience is welcome.

Attendees are invited to Lunch & Learn with Clemson Extension. They can pack a lunch, bring a chair or blanket and learn about what a water goat is and what it has collected during the past six months.

Attendees can also ask questions and find out how they can get involved.

The Lunch & Learn will be Saturday, Sept. 5, at YMCA Trailhead at Prisma Health Shot Pouch Greenway, 510 Miller Road, from noon to 1 p.m.

For any questions, contact Castleberry at castleb@clemson.edu.

South Carolina Beach Sweep River Sweep

The annual South Carolina Beach Sweep is the state's largest one-day volunteer cleanup of beaches, rivers, lakes, marshes and swamps. While local agents often make the drive to the coast to clean our beaches, this year's effort will be close to home.

Community members can be part of this statewide initiative as Sumter agents join Costas Farm to help clean up along the banks of Turkey Creek. The small waterway is important for its connection to the Pocotaligo River, Black River and the Pee Dee River that empties into Winyah Bay in Georgetown, South Carolina.

Those interested in participating are encouraged to wear outdoor clothes and boots and bring a water bottle and bug spray. All litter cleanup supplies will be provided.

The cleanup will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Costas Farms, 1520 U.S. 521.

For any questions, contact Castleberry at castleb@clemson.edu.

Water Mission Info session

After a successful inaugural year of its Sumter Water Mission Walk for Water in 2026, planning for the 2027 event is underway.

In March, Castleberry and others hosted 100 walkers who carried buckets of water from Swan Lake Iris Gardens to Prisma Health Shot Pouch Greenway to help raise awareness of the global water crisis. The walk simulated "the daily reality of millions of people worldwide who walk miles each day to collect water that is often unsafe."

Anyone interested in learning more about Water Mission is encouraged to attend the information meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Trinity United Methodist Church's Fellowship Hall, 226 W. Liberty St. at 6:30 p.m.

On the same evening, Trinity will host its "Wednesday Night Supper" at 6 p.m., which requires reservation. Anyone who wants to join the church for supper must contact the church at (803) 773-9393 no later than Monday, Aug. 24, to make a reservation. The menu will include burgers, baked beans and chips. An adult meal costs $10, a child meal costs $7, meals for a family of four are $30 and for a family of five $35. Cash or check only.

For any questions about the information meeting, contact Castleberry at castleb@clemson.edu.